Back with the continuation
"speaking"
"thinking"
On with the story
In a forest far from the ruined kingdom
Éclair was set in a small pond as Natsu gently sinks her in
"Éclair….." Momon called out to her while riding on Natsu's back
"she'll be fine, Momon" Natsu told the little bird as Éclair sink into the water
Natsu takes out Enryuo no Kiba and drew blood out of his right wrist
His blood started to drip upon into the water as the water started to turn red before it glowed
Éclair's wounds, and her scars started to disappear as her body slowly healed
Bubbles appeared around Éclair before the woman's eyes sprung open and she instantly bolted upwards
"AAAAAaaaaaahhhhhh!" she let out an ear piercing scream as this surprised Momon
Éclair started to scream like crazy as her eyes were reaching to the back of her head
Natsu looks at her as he reached out his hand towards her
Éclair saw his hand as she instantly swipes her hands at him, causing her nails to draw blood from Natsu's hand
She started to run away, scrambling like some sort of wild animal
"Éclair!" Momon screamed as he tried to chase after her but Natsu beat him to it
"AAAaaaah! Aaaaahhh!" Éclair screamed out before Natsu pulled her into a tight embrace
Éclair started to scream more and more as she started to claw her hands at Natsu, trying to get away
Natsu keeps a tight hold on her as he wasn't letting go
Éclair continued screaming, she continued on clawing Natsu as she started to shed tears
Irene and the others watched the scene, not far from the small pond as they see Éclair turned into a mad woman
"what could've happened to her?" Erza asked with a frown
"she's like a cornered mad animal" Kagura said feeling a bit uneasy, hearing Éclair's scream
"I've heard from the little bird, that this girl is like an immortal, she lived through many years in torture, I can guess that even if her body doesn't break, her soul and mind did" Irene said with a frown as she knew the feeling
Éclair screamed and screamed as continued to claw Natsu before her body started to grew tire
Natsu holds her tight before humming was heard from him
His humming continued on before nearby wildlife started to surround the small pond
Momon watched the wildlife surrounds the pond before noticing that the pond was glowing red again
Éclair continued to let out weak screams and her tears keep on falling as her mind keeps showing images of the kingdom's prince, torturing her, toying with her to his pleasure non stop
Natsu gently squatted down as her pulled down Éclair
Éclair started to cry out as she was scared, she was scared of getting tortured by Natsu
"it's alright…..it's alright" Natsu whispered as a warm aura spreads around his body, and flowed into Éclair
Éclair's eyes soften as the warm aura soothes her body
"I promise you….it won't hurt" Natsu said as he gently pushed down Éclair into the glowing red water
Éclair looks a bit afraid to the glowing water as she looks to Natsu who nodded with a gentle smile
She sank into the water with her eyes closed as bubbles started to float up to the surface
Natsu holds her as Eclair sank into the water, not letting her go
The water soon turned normal as Éclair resurfaces up from the water and instantly holds Natsu while taking deep breathes
"you did good…" Natsu said caressing her head with a gentle smile
All the wildlife soon started to disappear as Momon approaches Natsu and Éclair
He climbed up Natsu's back and looks at Éclair
"Éclair?" Momon called out to her as Éclair looks at Momon before screaming at him
"what's wrong?" Erza asked confused to why she was still screaming
"her body is healed but not her mind" Irene said "it may forever be permanently broken"
Eclair pushed Natsu away as she started running out of the river but Natsu caught her hand
"it's alright…" Natsu said pulling her into another embrace "he's Momon…..he's our friend…"
Éclair looks a bit scared as she looks at Momon who smiled in response
She shakes her head before Natsu gentle leads her hand to Momon
"Éclair….it's alright….it's alright" Natsu whispered as her hand touched Momon who smiled in response
Éclair's eyes softened a bit to the soft feeling of touching Momon's head as she started to pet the little bird's head
Natsu smiled before he carried up Momon and passes him to Éclair
Éclair looks at Momon before to Natsu who nodded
She gently reached out her hand to Momon as she carried him before hugging him
Momon cried in tears as Éclair gently holds him in her arms
Natsu smiled before gently leading them out of the pond
Night soon came as the stars and the moon arises
At a small campsite, Natsu sat on a broken down tree as he was in the middle of patching up a new wing on Momon
He sewed the needle around Momon's tear as he sewed the new wing on to his side
Éclair looks from behind Natsu as she looks at him doing the sewing with intent eyes like a curious child
"there" Natsu bit the string as he sets down Momon on the ground
Momon looks at his new wing and patched up tears as he flaps his new wing around and floated up before falling
"I think I need to practice…" Momon said while rubbing the back of his head in embarassement
Natsu nodded with a smile before Éclair carried up Momon and hugs him like a child getting a new doll
Erza and Kagura came into the campsite as they brought firewood and some catch fishes
"we're back" Erza said before Éclair instantly tensed up as she scrambled and hides behind Natsu
Eclair let out a hissing snarl as she glared at Erza and Kagura
"is she still cautious of us?" Erza asked setting down the firewood "we mean her no harm"
"it's not her fault nor it is yours" Natsu said as she looks at Éclair who was acting like a cornered scared animal "her mind is in shattered into thousands of pieces, it will take some time to put them back together"
"maybe master can heal her, she's an expert on enchantment" Kagura proposed as Natsu shook his head in response
"with her character right now, it is not the best idea, not while she thinks everything is a hostile enemy" Natsu said as Éclair continues on hiding behind him "I'll handle it, in the meantime, can one of you give her some spare clothes? it isn't good for her to stay in the cloak"
Éclair was still wearing her dirtied rug clothes with the addition of a cloak, given to her by Natsu who helped her wear it
"I think I have some that might be her size" Kagura said going a set up tent to fetch it
Natsu nodded in gratitude before realizing that Irene wasn't with them
"Irene?" Natsu asked as Erza shook her head in response
Irene was at the pond as she sat down by the corner while flicking some pebbles into the water
The pond ripples as the pebble flied down into the bottom water
"mother?" Erza appeared as she called out to her
Irene looks to Erza before standing back up
"what is it, Erza?" Irene asked while dusting off the dirt on her legs
"why are you here?" Erza asked with a frown
"oh, nothing…just…nothing" Irene replied looking to the pond, directly staring at her own reflection
Erza went to her mother as she knew that something was wrong
"Mother? What is it?" Erza asked again before she sees tears started to drip down Irene's eyes "Mother?"
Irene wiped away her tears but they weren't stopping
"eh? Strange? I can't….i can't stop it…..my tears…" Irene wipes away the tears again and again, but more and more keep on pouring down her eyes
Soon she fell down as her tears keeps falling
Erza kneeled down as she holds Irene who started crying nonstop
"why…why can't i…..crying?" Irene asked wiping away her tears so many times but they weren't stopping
Erza frowned before she pulled her mother into a hug
"thank you….Erza" Irene said as her tears slowly stopped falling
They soon separated before Erza helps Irene stand up
"what's wrong, Mother? You can tell me" Erza said as Irene wiped away one small tear before to her hand
"i….i don't know…..there's this feeling in me…..that feels like it's turning my insides out…i.." Irene said as her words weren't making any sense but Erza knew what she was saying
"you were jealous" Erza said as Irene's eyes widen in surprise to her statement "you were jealous of Éclair…..isn't that right?"
"i…i…don't know" Irene said looking away but Erza puts her hands to her shoulder
"Mother…" Erza spoke out as Irene looks to her and sees that her eyes held serious in them
Irene bit her lips a bit as she frowns before she slowly nodded
"yes…..i was….jealous…." Irene said with a deep frown "I was so jealous of that girl….the way…she clung onto Natsu like that…reminds me so much of her"
"of who?" Erza asked as Irene took a deep breath and let out a long sigh
"…Eliza…..Natsu's former lover…." Irene said as she sat down on the grass with Erza joining
Flashback
a Majestic Kingdom was thriving as it was the Kingdom of Dragnof
humans and Dragons living in peace and harmony
it was back at Dragnof, before it crumbled into chaos and destruction
Irene walked in the streets of the kingdom as Humans and Dragons waved and smiled to her with joy and love
She waved back to the people as she greeted some
Those were the days before I was crowned the queen, and how I missed those days, living as a normal person, being happy with my friends and families
Irene went down the street as she finds Natsu in a park, and seems to be waiting for someone
She went to greet him but she stopped when she saw Eliza running towards Natsu as the girl jumps into his arms and both started twirling around with joyful smiles
Irene felt her heart shattered as her tears soon shed from her eyes before she started running away
How so much envy run through me. How I wish for me to be with him instead of her. How I wish that she would just disappear
Everything was soon gone as Dragnof had fallen into chaos and flames
How I wish to stop my own foolish heart from beating
Irene watched the horror as the carnage of Acnologia had taken everything she had loved
Countless dead corpses of Dragons and Humans littered the entire place, blood soaking the ground, life taken and none spared.
Irene looks ahead and sees Natsu kneeling down in front of the corpse of Eliza as the man cried in tears to her
Flashback ends
"how I wish to have died many centuries ago" Irene said as she let out a sad sigh while frowning "in the end, I could never get what I wanted"
"Mother…." Erza looks to her mother as she could tell that she was suffering inside
"you must be thinking how such a foolish, idiotic, and utterly egoistic woman like me should be alive, right? How I'm the one who gave birth to the monster that took everything should be even allowed to exist? How I'm the one who is supposed to be cursed forever?!" Irene exclaimed in tears
Erza shakes her head before pulling Irene into another hug
"I don't think of you as that….i just think of you as my beloved mother….who stride forth to give a home to everyone in the guild….who gave me life into this world" Erza said as Irene squinted her eyes and tears soon started falling like waterfall
At the campsite, Natsu sat by the campsite as his hearing heard all the conversation between Erza and Irene
"how foolish you are, Irene" Natsu asked himself before closing his eyes and then reopening them to look at Éclair who is sleeping while leaning her head to his shoulder and was hugging Momon in her sleep
A flashback appeared in his head as an image of Eliza sleeping with him in a park appeared, they sleep so peacefully before a black haired young boy joined them
"that time…." Natsu thought as he thought of the young boy "….could it be?"
That's a wrap!
Bye bye
